Universal-link chain.



v J. J. umn. UNIVERSAL LINK CHAIN.

APPLICATION YILBD 11213.15, 1913.'

Patented July 28, 1914L ,gnam

JOHN J. IRVIN, OF BELLWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA.

UNIVERSAL-LINK CHAIN.

monete.

Specification ot' Letters Patent.

Patented J lily 28, 1914.

Application lcd February 15, 1913. Serial No. 748,638.

To all lzii/mm 'it may conce/'71 Be it known that l, JoiiN J. Inviti, a citizen of the United States, residing at, Bellwood, in the countyy of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Universal-Link Chains, of which the following is a specification.

This improvement relates to power transmission cliains, and consists in a flexible construction wliereby a steam shovel or other traveling conveyance may be propelled around sharp curves without undue wear on the parts or liability to breakage from lateral stress. The chains now in common use for this purpose are either the ordinary straight link cable chain or the side 'link chain. The cable chain admits of the conveyance being propelled around sharp curves but the bearinir contact with its sprocket is so small that the life of the sprocket is very short; it has also. the disadvantage of stretching to such an extent that the pitch is soon changed sutliciently to make it inoperaf tive. ri`he side linksprocket as commonly made while having a good bearing surface with the s rocket has no flexibility laterall withl t e result that when the machine is eing propelled around a sharp curve the chain either breaks or jumps out of its sprocket.

My improve( chain combines the advan* tages of both t e cable and side link chain Without the objectionable features of either.

The invention is fully set forth in the fol-V lowing description and shown in the accom-4 panying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation 0f a sprocket wheel and a sectionm my improved link, chain, a portion of the sprocket Wheel being broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. `Fig. 3 is a .'ertical transverse section on the line SW3 et' Fi v. 1.

Re err-ing to the drawin lfe, 1 designates my improved link chain, W iich is made up of alternately arranged links 2 and 3. Each link 2 consists of a pair of opposed link plates 4 having countersunk end openings 5. Each link 3 similarly consists of a pair of opposedplates 6 having countersunk end openings 7 The plat/es of. the links are coupled at their proximate ends by fulcrum blocks 8, preferably of cubical form. Each of these blocks is providedwith pairs of vertical horizontal. pintles 9 and 10. to which the ends of the coasting sets or" link plates are pivotally connected. ln the example lshown, the pintles i) and l0 are respectively littcd within the openings 5 and 7 and are headed in the countcrsuiik portions thereof to hold the plates from relative displace nient.

It will be apparent that bythe construc-` tion described the sets of chain links are coupled for free relative universal motion in planes at right angles to each other, so that the chain has ample flexibility' to travel vertically or laterally around sharp curves 4without breaking. It will also be seen that the sets of lplates are adapted to have a wide range of pivotal movement without intcrt'ci ing with each other, and that the cubical blocks form square abutments which stay the links in an effective manner.

The chain is adapted for transmitting powe" to either horizontal or vertical sprocket wheels. In Fig. l and 2 l. have s iown a sprocket wheel 1l having a grooverl bearing surface 12, at the opposite sides of which arc lugs or teeth 13. As shown, each set of link platesis provided with rounded end portions 14 to engave said lugs or teeth,

und each link is formedwto snugly fit within the bearing surface l2. When the sprocket wheel is vertical the bottom horizontal link plates form bearing surfaces which rest upon 'the surface 21 and give adequate support to the chain, while the forward ends of the vcrtical link plates act as abutment surfaces to engage the lugs 13. When the sprocket wheel is horizontal, the adjacent vertical link plates act as hearing surl'aecs for ther chain, while the forward ends of the horizontal plates act as abutment surfaces to engage the lugs or teeth. The chain, while simple of construction, is thus adapted to transmit power to both vertical and horizontal sprockets and travel 'freely in an irregular path and flex vertically, horizontally and Vat intermediate angles without binding or breaking.

The combination of a sprocket wheel having a groove or channel in the periphery thereof, said groove or channel forming side lates or lianges, an annular recess in the Ease of the grooved periphery of less width than the groove, forming annular bearing shoulders within the groove on opposite sides of the recess, and spaced series of transversely registering lugs (projecting radially from said shoulders, an a chain comprising sets of llinks composed of opposed pairs of plates and ulcrum blocks to whchsaid plates are pivotally coupled for universal motion, said opposing sets of plates being respectively arranged at right angles to each other and in planes respectively parallel with and at right angles to the plane of rotation of the Wheel, the innermost plates of one set bein arranged to travel Within the le recess and t e opposed plates vof the other set being arranged to travel upon said bearing shoulders and presenting end abutment surfaces to engage said radial lugs.i

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN J. IRVIN.

Witnesses:

CLARENCE J. BURNS, EDGAR M. MYERS, 

